Valve is introducing mandatory account authentication for traders

Earlier this year Valve took a stand against account hackers by introducing additional security measures that can be used by Steam account holders to better protect their Steam Account. However, as the industry moves forward, so does the dishonest elements working within its shadows, so for some, the security measures are becoming a more mandatory affair.

When you delve deeper into the statistics behind the radical move, you can easily see why, a recent report shows that over 77,000 accounts of users are being hacked on a monthly basis. This alarming statistic comes following the introduction of Steam Trading, which has created a “black-market” for virtual items in Steam and big business for those who wish to exploit it. According to Steam, these accounts don’t just consist of new and naive users; professional gamers and long-term Reddit users have also been targeted and because not everyone follows the optional security measures, more often than not these hacks are successful.

Valve say that these hackings are now more widespread than ever and as a result they’re tweaking their “Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator” so that restrictions are placed on account holders that are trading, but not using the Authenticator. Thus forcing them to use it.

“Anyone losing items in a trade will now need to have the Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator enabled on their account for at least seven days and have trade confirmations turned on. Otherwise, items will be held by Steam for up to three days before delivery. If you’re trading with a friend of at least one year, items will be only held by Steam for up to one day.”

What this means is, in effect, that item trading will still continue to be a thing on Steam, but without the authenticator it’s going to be a much slower process. For the sake of keeping things above-board, you’re probably better off just using it. It’s a shame really that these steps are being implemented but frankly it’s a minor inconvenience for the sake of keeping your account safe.